NEW YORK – Four days after Efstathios Valiotis’ speech at the 76th commencement ceremony of Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology (HCHC), Archbishop Demetrios of America issued a statement, on May 23, regarding Valiotis’ comments about an autocephalous Church in America.
In the address, Valiotis called for the Church in America “to become autocephalous or for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to move to the United States. We cannot be governed by a small group of people from Turkey without any flock and purpose, with no mission and with different agenda,” in the presence of Demetrios, who is also Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and Metropolitans Methodios of Boston, Gerasimos of San Francisco, and Savas of Pittsburgh, and Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Andonios of Phasiane. Demetrios praised the honorees (Valiotis and John P. Calamos Sr., calling them extraordinary men. They are successful businessmen, very creative, but they have the characteristic that they are in church on Sundays.”
After the ceremony, Demetrios told TNH that “the School is trying, it is going ahead and we always look at the future ahead.” Regarding Valiotis’ statements, Demetrios said “Mr. Valiotis is always impressive”. When asked if he agrees with his statements, the archbishop said “that is another issue.”
Valiotis bio as published in the official commencement program states that he is the Founder of Alma Bank, which The National Herald has revealed is the bank from which the Archdiocese plans to undertake a $7 million loan to pay off its debts, using its two office buildings in Manhattan as collateral.
The entire text of the archbishop’s statement has follows:
“The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is addressing concerns regarding comments made and opinions expressed at the 76th commencement of Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, May 19, 2018.
“Opinions expressed by speakers and honorees during the commencement ceremony are simply their opinions and do not in any way reflect the sentiments of His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios Geron of America, the Holy Eparchial Synod, our School HCHC, or the Archdiocese as a whole.
“Further, we state unequivocally that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, as the canonical eparchy, which belongs organically and inseparably to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, honors, respects and loves the Ecumenical Patriarchate and His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.”
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